25:
321:. The strike occurred over management's demand that the union give up a contract clause which limited management's ability to change the number of workers assigned to a task or to introduce new work rules or machinery which would result in reduced hours or numbers of employees. The strike's effects persuaded
339:
The union eventually retained the contract clause and won minimal wage increases. On the other hand, the strike led to significant importation of foreign steel for the first time in U.S. history, which replaced the domestic steel industry in the long run. The strike remained the longest work stoppage
590:
Congress would soon begin hearings on the steel strike. Neither
Republicans nor Democrats would support the steel companies if the strike triggered an election-year recession, and Nixon urged management to accept the terms of the Kaiser Steel settlement. Industry executives agreed to a new contract,
468:
On
September 28, 1959, Eisenhower met privately with McDonald and Goldberg and threatened to invoke the back-to-work provisions of the Taft–Hartley Act. McDonald was unwilling to budge on Section 2(b) without other concessions from the steelmakers. The steel companies, realizing that they could wait
612:
In the long run, the strike devastated the
American steel industry. More than 85 percent of U.S. steel production had been shut down for almost four months. Hungry for steel, American industries began importing steel from foreign sources. Steel imports had been negligible prior to 1959. But during
477:
Eisenhower set in motion the Taft–Hartley machinery on
October 7 and appointed a Board of Inquiry. However, Eisenhower limited the Board's mandate to clarifying the issues rather than recommending a settlement. Realizing that the strike could linger despite the use of the Taft–Hartley provisions,
560:
slowed from extremely poor relationships between workers and managers. The Taft–Hartley Act required management to make a last offer and for union members to vote on this proposal. Management proposed minimal improvements in wages and benefits and the elimination of
Section 2(b). McDonald turned
434:
President
Eisenhower asked both sides to extend the agreement and resume bargaining. McDonald and Goldberg offered to extend the contract by one year. They also proposed creating a joint committee to study changes to Section 2(b) and to the contract's benefit structure. Steelmakers rejected the
625:
The strike also eventually ended McDonald's tenure as president of the
Steelworkers. Eager to avoid a repetition of the 1959 strike, McDonald worked with steel industry executives to widen the mandate of the new nine-member commissions (now known as "Human Relations Committees"). A three-year
482:
over
Section 2(b). McDonald rejected the offer. He proposed a contract similar to his proposal of early July but reduced the union's wage and benefit demands and limited the contract to two rather than three years. Working from a plan devised by Goldberg, McDonald also proposed a nine-member
626:
national steel contract was signed on March 31, 1962. The union agreed not to enforce
Section 2 (b) and permitted increased automation, with a percentage of the profits from automation going to wage increases. However, union members began to feel McDonald was not protecting their interests.
599:
On
January 15, a new 20-month contract was signed. Section 2(b) was preserved. Workers received a 7-cent an hour pay increase, 4.25 cents an hour lower than the Kaiser Steel settlement and far lower than anything McDonald had demanded. For the first time, however, the union won an automatic
530:
led to an independent settlement between the union and Kaiser Steel on October 26. Although the Steelworkers won only a fractionally higher wage increase than the steelmakers had proposed, the settlement included the nine-member committee, proposed earlier by Goldberg and McDonald.
501:
ordering the steelworkers back to work. Goldberg argued that the Taft–Hartley Act was unconstitutional, but the district court ruled for the government on October 21. However, the court agreed to a stay of the injunction until the matter was fully settled. The union appealed to the
360:
was named acting president by the USWA executive board. Although observers felt that Murray had intended to push McDonald out of the union, his sudden death left McDonald in a position to take control. In 1953, the USWA executive board named McDonald president.
418:
Section 2(b) of the steelworkers' contract limited management's ability to change the number of workers assigned to a task or to introduce new work rules or machinery that would result in reduced hours or fewer employees. Management claimed that it helped
633:
challenged McDonald for the presidency of the union. The February 9 election was a bitter one. Voting irregularities and challenged ballots delayed a final result until April 30. Abel won by a razor-thin margin of 10,142 votes, out of 600,678 cast.
621:
steel to be less costly than American steel even after accounting for importation costs. The sudden shift toward imported steel set in motion a series of events, which led to the gradual decline of the American steel industry.
414:
to request a major wage increase. Industry negotiators refused to grant a wage increase unless McDonald agreed to a substantial alteration or an elimination of Section 2(b) of the union's national master contract.
561:
management of the union over to Goldberg to concentrate the legal and bargaining work in one set of hands. Goldberg convinced the leadership of the union to reject the proposal, and the members followed suit.
583:
The Board of Inquiry, meanwhile, reconvened on November 10 and issued a second report on January 6, 1960. The major issues, the Board said, remained the size of the wage increase and Section 2(b).
553:
decision, the court upheld the constitutionality of the Taft-Hartley Act. The justices affirmed the district court's injunction, ordering the workers back to work for an 80-day cooling-off period.
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wage adjustment and greatly improved pension and health benefits. McDonald trumpeted the settlement as a great victory, compared to what might have happened.
503:
483:
committee consisting of three members from labor, management, and the public to study and resolve work-rule issues. Management rejected the new proposal.
1043:
Rose, James D. "The Struggle over Management Rights at US Steel, 1946–1960: A Reassessment of Section 2-B of the Collective Bargaining Contract."
426:
McDonald characterized management's proposals as an attempt to break the union. Negotiations broke off, and the contract expired on July 1, 1959.
402:
McDonald led the Steelworkers on strike in 1956, winning substantial wage increases, unemployment benefits, layoff rights, and improved pensions.
410:
Prior to the 1959 strike, the major American steel companies were reporting high profits which led McDonald and Steelworkers general counsel
376:(at least from 1952 to 1954) made expansion of social programs unlikely, but Eisenhower indeed would extend many of Roosevelt's programs.
1114:
881:
Rose, "The Struggle over Management Rights at US Steel, 1946–1960: A Reassessment of Section 2-B of the Collective Bargaining Contract,"
438:
On July 15, 500,000 steelworkers went on strike. The strike shuttered nearly every steel mill in the country. By the end of August, the
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577:
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The Board of Inquiry issued its final report on October 19 and declared that there was no chance of a negotiated settlement.
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391:, tuition reimbursement and other items. Throughout the 1950s, however, McDonald felt an intense rivalry with the
1144:
539:
On November 7, 1959, on the 116th day of the strike, the Supreme Court upheld the appellate court's findings. In
322:
395:(UAW). The UAW often won better wage and benefit packages than the Steelworkers and were able to obtain the
580:
and offered his services in the hopes of negotiating a settlement, which might win him labor's backing.
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Rejecting the contract was a dangerous tactic and could have broken the union if not for the support of
478:
management offered a three-year contract with small improvements in pay and fringe benefits and binding
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voiced concern that there would not be enough steel to meet national defense needs in a crisis.
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June 2, 1965; Pomfret, "Abel Declared Victor in Steel Vote," The New York Times, May 1, 1965.
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until Eisenhower forced union members back to work, refused to make any such concessions.
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Daniels, Lee A. "David J. McDonald, Retired Head of Steelworkers Union, Dies at 76."
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In December, Nixon met privately with the steelmakers and cautioned them that the
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The Decline of American Steel: How Management, Labor, and Government Went Wrong.
728:
The Decline of American Steel: How Management, Labor, and Government Went Wrong,
462:
420:
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Daniels, "David J. McDonald, Retired Head of Steelworkers Union, Dies at 76,"
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399:. McDonald's negotiating stands often reflected the interunion jealousy.
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similar to the Kaiser Steel settlement, in the last week of December.
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and lost again on October 27. The United States Supreme Court granted
458:
449:
quickly began to pressure McDonald to end the strike. Its president,
332:. The union sued to have the Act declared unconstitutional, but the
1057:
Shils, Edward B. "Arthur Goldberg: Proof of the American Dream."
388:
423:
and reduced the competitiveness of the American steel industry.
989:
Right to Challenge: People and Power in the Steelworkers Union.
756:
Right to Challenge: People and Power in the Steelworkers Union,
45:
You can help by providing page numbers for existing citations.
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McDonald reluctantly ordered his members back to work, but
1150:
Manufacturing industry labor disputes in the United States
453:, was willing to support the strike if it did not affect
461:, which was threatening to lay off tens of thousands of
368:. The election of Dwight Eisenhower as US president and
1036:
Pomfret, John D. "Abel Declared Victor in Steel Vote."
706:
Shils, "Arthur Goldberg: Proof of the American Dream,"
522:
Meanwhile, a budding friendship between Goldberg and
1050:
Seeger, Murray. "M'Donald Yields Union Presidency."
1026:Philadelphia, Pa.: Temple University Press, 2000.
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517:
495:federal district court for western Pennsylvania
383:on benefits such as unemployment compensation,
309:(July 15 – November 7, 1959) by members of the
457:negatively. The strike was also affecting the
92:July 15 – November 7, 1959 (65 years ago)
1140:Labor disputes led by the United Steelworkers
1003:Man of Steel: The Story of David J. McDonald.
773:Man of Steel: The Story of David J. McDonald,
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328:to invoke the back-to-work provisions of the
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923:Seeger, "M'Donald Yields Union Presidency,"
192:
975:Biographical Dictionary of American Labor.
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791:Biographical Dictionary of American Labor,
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1068:New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
1017:Union Man: The Life of a Labor Statesman.
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61:Learn how and when to remove this message
1005:New York: North American Book Co., 1954.
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613:the strike, basic U.S. industries found
576:. Nixon planned to run for president in
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514:and set argument for November 3, 1959.
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1024:Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered.
977:Westport, Ct.: Greenwood Press, 1984.
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1066:Arthur J. Goldberg: New Deal Liberal.
1019:New York: E.P.Dutton & Co., 1969.
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1001:Kelly, George and Beachler, Edward.
952:"Abel Is Sworn in By Steelworkers."
936:"Abel Is Sworn in By Steelworkers,"
909:Arthur J. Goldberg: New Deal Liberal
771:, July 9, 1956; Kelly and Beachler,
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1115:1950s strikes in the United States
991:New York: Harper & Row, 1972.
465:'s members from a steel shortage.
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1120:1959 labor disputes and strikes
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379:Subsequently, McDonald focused
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504:Third Circuit Court of Appeals
311:United Steelworkers of America
119:United Steelworkers of America
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541:Steelworkers v. United States
364:McDonald emphasized enhanced
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1100:United Steelworkers Web site
518:Settlement with Kaiser Steel
7:
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356:died in November 1952, and
16:Strike in the United States
10:
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644:List of US strikes by size
473:Invocation of Taft–Hartley
1135:1960 in the United States
1130:1959 in the United States
754:August 9, 1979; Herling,
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1045:Business History Review.
883:Business History Review,
352:USWA founding president
317:industry throughout the
535:Defeat in Supreme Court
194:Steel strikes in the US
32:This article cites its
1145:Steel industry strikes
374:United States Congress
313:(USWA) that idled the
286:Allegheny Technologies
218:U.S. Steel recognition
1059:Monthly Labor Review.
959:"Aspirin for Steel."
811:"Aspirin for Steel,"
708:Monthly Labor Review,
491:Department of Justice
440:Department of Defense
249:Memorial Day massacre
963:. November 16, 1959.
654:Steel strike of 1986
565:Nixon's intervention
342:steel strike of 1986
326:Dwight D. Eisenhower
300:steel strike of 1959
1064:Stebenne, David L.
1047:72:3 (Autumn 1998).
1015:McDonald, David J.
973:Fink, Gary M., ed.
938:The New York Times,
925:The New York Times,
752:The New York Times,
631:Iorwith Wilbur Abel
497:for a Taft–Hartley
489:On October 20, the
459:automaking industry
393:United Auto Workers
1052:The New York Times
1038:The New York Times
968:The New York Times
954:The New York Times
815:November 16, 1959.
547:(1959), in an 8–1
412:Arthur J. Goldberg
372:majorities in the
1078:Tiffany, Paul A.
970:. August 9, 1979.
649:1952 steel strike
455:national security
358:David J. McDonald
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224:Pressed Steel Car
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76:1959 Steel Strike
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38:does not provide
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1022:Metzgar, Jack.
1012:. July 9, 1956.
987:Herling, John.
956:. June 2, 1965.
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480:arbitration
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304:labor union
274:1980s–2020s
239:1930s–1970s
232:Great Steel
204:1800s–1920s
1109:Categories
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660:References
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588:Democratic
550:per curiam
512:certiorari
499:injunction
370:Republican
348:Background
267:Nationwide
261:Nationwide
255:Nationwide
847:Metzgar,
726:Tiffany,
629:In 1965,
323:President
210:Homestead
51:July 2020
638:See also
615:Japanese
389:pensions
97:Location
81:Part of
911:, 1996.
447:AFL–CIO
435:offer.
149:519,000
107:Parties
34:sources
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981:
789:Fink,
619:Korean
608:Impact
430:Strike
406:Causes
307:strike
251:) 1937
138:Number
851:2000.
813:Time,
793:1984.
775:1954.
758:1972.
730:1988.
526:heir
315:steel
1084:ISBN
1070:ISBN
1028:ISBN
1010:Time
993:ISBN
979:ISBN
961:Time
769:Time
617:and
578:1960
445:The
298:The
288:2021
282:1986
269:1959
263:1952
257:1946
234:1919
226:1909
220:1901
212:1892
89:Date
36:but
506:in
280:USX
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